


Two Months

by Intergalactic_Asher



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Stolen Century arc, could be gen but probably gay, happy birthday statyk, light davenchurch, like you know they'll be back, major character death but in the stolen century way, some sappy nonsense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 11:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13612848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Intergalactic_Asher/pseuds/Intergalactic_Asher
Summary: Maybe the Hunger wasn't coming this time. It was all Davenport had wanted for more than half a century, but now the thought filled him with dread.





	Two Months

The planet - they never learned its name, if it has one - is all water. There was never any hope of finding the Light of Creation at the bottom of the ocean, not when they couldn’t even leave the Starblaster for a swim, or be eaten by the huge, scaly denizens of the deep. Most cycles like this Davenport waits for the Hunger with a mix of anxiety and loathing. But right now, as he weaves and dodges around the pillars of black energy, all he feels is relief.

It was a long year for everybody, trapped aboard the ship with nothing but miles of water to look at. It took Magnus and Taako all of one month to go stir-crazy, and start goading each other into more and more reckless dares. Occasionally they would try to drag Lucretia along with them. Taako quit it three months in after Magnus fell off the ship and was eaten.

Davenport had barely seen Lup and Barry all year. They only occasionally showed up for meals, looking tired and disheveled. Their relationship was still new enough that Taako teased them for all the time they spent alone, but Davenport had the feeling they were working on a project of some kind. Maybe not one he wanted to know about.

Lucretia told Davenport about halfway through the year it was nice to have a cycle where nothing happened. She claimed she was behind on her journaling, and being stuck inside gave her a chance to catch up. Davenport was too tired to question her, but she seemed like she was holding something back, some mounting anxiety that would come crashing down on all of them in a few cycles.

But Davenport didn’t have the time or the energy to ask what was wrong. The Starblaster wasn’t made to fight gravity, and it certainly wasn’t made for a whole year of skimming just a few hundred feet above a planet’s surface with no time to rest. The ship seemed to be constantly on the verge of collapse, and Davenport hardly slept just keeping it in the air. He was twitchy and jumpy, alert for any noise, any flashing light that could spell all of their doom.

Only Merle seemed content with the year they were having. He’d always liked the ocean, and even the stormy, roiling sea that covered this planet seemed to make him happy. Or maybe that was just an act he put on for Davenport- the captain didn’t have the time to tell the difference. All he knew was the relief he felt when Merle made his way onto the bridge, offering a game of cards if the ship was quiet enough, or to stand watch while Davenport stole half an hour of sleep in his chair.

Sometimes he would help fix things, if they weren’t too urgent to explain. Davenport was surprised to find that someone who had grown up in a Pan-cult in the woods could have such a knack for mechanics, especially those as complicated as the Starblaster’s. It felt good to work together, not talking much, just moving quietly in tandem. The ship always seemed to remain stable longer after Merle helped fix it.

It was easy to lose track of time, circling over the endless ocean. Their orbit screwed with everyone’s sense of day and night. Magnus had been keeping a tally-mark calendar on a piece of paper he’d taped up in the bridge, but everyone forgot to keep it up after he died. Taako tried to backtrack and figure it out later -  _ He must really be bored _ , Davenport thought - but nobody was really sure how close it was to the end of the year.

So when Merle gave Davenport a bone-crushing hug and went to his room to Parlay, Davenport could only hope he’d gotten the timing right.

It had been two months now since Merle had disappeared. The ship was suffering for it, and Davenport was as well. Had they simply lost track of time that badly? Or was the Hunger late?   _ Maybe he finally got through to John _ , he thought.  _ Maybe it’s not coming this time. _ It was all he’d wanted for more than half a century, but now the thought filled him with dread. With Magnus and Merle gone, and the Starblaster unable to even land- this couldn’t be their last cycle. They wouldn’t even make it another year.

Sometimes he thought it was worth it. Even this desolate world didn’t deserve to be devoured. And if the Hunger didn’t come here, then… It wouldn’t go anywhere else, right? That was a win, it had to be. If a watery grave for the seven of them was the price of stopping the Hunger once and for all, that had to be worth it, right?

But it didn’t feel worth it. As he ran frantically across the bridge to patch together one of a few mechanisms that had begun to actually, physically fall apart, Davenport couldn’t see how this was worth anything at all. He didn’t want them all to die, really die, on this barren nothing of a planet, desperate and alone. He didn’t want to die because the Starblaster malfunctioned. He didn’t want to die here.

He didn’t want to die without seeing Merle again.

So when the sky grew black and tumultuous, instead of anger and hatred, all Davenport felt was relief. As they broke out of orbit and watched the world being destroyed behind them, he couldn’t even bother to feel sorry for the creatures that were about to die. And as the exhausted remains of the crew were engulfed in light, all he could think of was Merle.

The crew of the Starblaster weren’t the only ones who went back to their saved state every year. The ship itself returned to how it had been the night they left their home, and Davenport, leaning over the dashboard now as he had been on that first, desperate escape, had never been happier to see it in its normal condition.

By the time he’d leapt out of his seat and turned to face the crew, they’d already broken up into smaller groups. Taako had caught Magnus in a rare hug, and Lucretia was rummaging for the salve she always put on the cuts the crew had gotten the night before they left. Merle was standing to the side, watching them with a small smile on his face.

“It sure is good to see you,” said Davenport, speaking first for once as he walked up to stand beside Merle.

“Oh yeah?” said the dwarf, turning his attention away from Taako and Magnus. “Was I gone for a while?”

“Two months.”

“Really?” Merle sounded concerned, and Davenport couldn’t meet his eye. “Shit. I’m sorry, Dav. I didn’t think it’d be more than a week.”

“I-it’s okay. Not your fault.” Davenport’s shoulders slumped. “You must have made some good progress with John. I wondered if he’d decided not to come at all.” Davenport looked over at the dashboard, in such perfect condition now that everything had been reset. “It wasn’t easy keeping this thing in the air without you.”

All at once Merle’s arms were around him, crushing him like they had before Merle left to speak with John. Davenport gripped Merle’s jacket, face buried against his shoulder, the word  _ home _ running through his mind like a beacon. Like something to hold onto.

“C’mon,” Merle said, though he hadn’t moved. “Let’s get you some sleep. I’ll tell you everything afterwards.” He kept a hand on Davenport’s back as he led him towards the bedrooms.

The words were out of Davenport’s mouth before he could stop them. “Stay with me,” he said, his voice much smaller than he’d ever wanted it to be in front of his crew.

But Merle just said, “Course I will, Dav,” and wrapped his arm around Davenport’s waist.

Minutes later Davenport crashed onto his bed, already half asleep. Merle lay down beside him and pulled him close, keeping him safe, holding on. For a little while, the ship would be fine without them. For a little while, the two of them laying next to each other, everything would be fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Birthday gift for a friend! Hope y'all enjoyed this angsty nonsense.


End file.
